The Real Story of Menthe
by anavihs
Summary: This is the story of Hades, Persephone and Menthe... my version! I didn't like the original story, so i put my own twist on it. I hope you enjoy! Now rated M for the lemons in chpts 2 and 4. I'm sorry if it offends anyone!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi again!! This is my sequel to Hades and Persephone: The Truth. I hope you enjoy it! It's about Demeter's attempted revenge on Hades. Lol. Thanks to everyone who read my story before!! You guys were awesome! ******

**Thanks to: ErikaCrotts, Fostersb, skele-gro, Flushed Twilight, Monito, Ratty Rowley, Alkedema, Laura Grey and CuteANDSexxxy17. You guys are the best!**

**Sorry this took so long! I'm running around looking for an apartment at the moment and not getting much time to write. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but I make no promises! ;)**

**Please enjoy!!**

* * *

Hello dear readers. I am once again going to share with you a story that I am quite sure has never been truthfully told before.

* * *

Demeter looked around her, her eyes probing the darkness as she entered the forest surrounding her gardens. Her feet were light and no sound was made. She was one with nature and nature was one with her. She would never be contested when it came to nature and weather. She paused in front of a large tree and tapped on it thrice. A young nymph emerged from the bark of the tree, her form shimmering as it left the tree and became corporeal. Demeter smiled at her, calculating and said,

"Hello, Menthe."

* * *

Persephone made her way from her bed chamber to where her husband, the King of the Underworld sat, judging souls on the bank of the river Styx. As soon as he saw her, his eyes brightened where they had previously been bored, filled with the love that they shared. She grinned at him and made her way to the throne to his left. He had moved the thrones closer to each other so that he had access to her at all times. She settled herself into the plush comfort of her throne. Unlike his, a hard throne made of black marble with only a single seat cushion, her throne was covered in cushions all over.

She leaned down to kiss his cheek, but he turned his face so that his lips captured hers. She smiled at his possessive behaviour and took her seat as he held her hand. The souls that had been watching them closely looked confused at the behaviour of their representation of Death. On earth, not everyone had heard of the recent marriage of Hades to Persephone, garnering her the title of Queen of the Underworld. She smiled at the souls as they made their way slowly towards Hades to be judged. It was a tedious task and Seph had only recently started to join her husband while he judged.

His fairness and sympathy for the mortals astounded her. He was the most feared of the Gods, but he was also the most compassionate. Having seen the fickleness of the Gods of Olympus, she was taken aback by the devotion that Hades had for his kingdom. She stroked the hands that held hers so gently and he turned a sweet smile on her. He grinned wolfishly at her and she blushed as she remembered how he woke her up that morning.

He kissed the hand he held lightly, in the centre of her palm, closing her fingers around it, before returning his attention to the soul that had made its way to the front of the line. He pondered the souls' deeds for a few seconds and the deeds also flashed through Seph's mind. He sighed and said,

"You are to go to the fields of Asphodel where you shall be reincarnated."

The soul smiled winningly, thanked Hades profusely, with what seemed to Seph to be an excessive amount of bowing, before making his way to the fields of Asphodel. This process continued until Seph noticed a slight noise coming from where the entrance to the Underworld was. She tried to look over the souls to see what the commotion was, but Hades at once rose to his feel and held a hand out in front of him. He made a pulling motion towards himself and a mortal man suddenly appeared in front of him, holding a lyre. Hades glared at the intruder and boomed,

"What are you doing, trespassing in my realm, human?"

Fascinated, Seph watched as her husband spoke to the human angrily. She had never seen him angry before. He had been upset, but never angry. The human fell to his knees and began sobbing. Stunned, Hades said,

"Your tears will not sway me, human. You shall be punished for your audacity."

The human lifted his tear stained face to look at Hades.

"My Lord, please forgive me. I am Orpheus, the musician and I have lost my wife. My Eurydice. Please, my Lord, I beg of you. Return her unto me and you can have whatever you desire of me."

Hades seemed flabbergasted for a second. Then, regaining his composure, he said,

"Why should I return her to you, human? It is obvious that it is not fated for her to live if she is gone."

This seemed to be the breaking point for Orpheus. He fell to his knees and gave such heart wrenching sobs, that Seph sat up and said,

"If you are a musician, Orpheus, tell us what happened in song."

He looked up at her, tears flowing feely down his cheeks and said,

"Yes, my Lady."

At once, he strummed his lyre, creating such magic with that single note that Seph felt her heart tug towards it. She held Hades' hand as Orpheus began singing the tale of his love for his wife. His voice was as clear and as pure as a bird's, flowing from his heart to their ears. He sang of how he wooed her from the forest into his arms and how they had been wed on a mountainside under the stars. Not two days after their marriage, she had found the urge to return to the forest.

As she entered the forest, as if to reclaim her, a tree snake had bitten her foot and she had died a few minutes later. Orpheus had searched for his bride far and wide and when he found her, he had been so heartbroken that he had made his way into the Underworld, lulling Cerberus with his lyre and bringing with him two gold pieces for Charon's boat.

* * *

As his song ended, Hades looked over at Seph, her hand clutching his as she began crying for the love that Orpheus had for his wife. She looked at Hades, her tears flowing from her periwinkle blue eyes as she whispered,

"Can we not help him, love?"

Hades sighed and said,

"What would you have me do, dearest? I cannot return a soul without a price."

She hugged him, her face nestled against his chest as she whispered,

"I know you can find a way, Hades. I have faith in you."

His heart twisted at her words where they had been previously unaffected by Orpheus' song. For Seph, he would do anything. He looked over at Orpheus, who looked on with hope in his eyes. Hades nodded to him.

"Your wife's soul shall be returned to you."

Orpheus looked so dazed by the statement, at first he did not move. A few moments later, he once again fell to his knees and the tears once again began flowing. This time, however, they were tears of joy.

"Thank you, my Lord... Thank you."

He whispered, unable to speak louder against the emotions filling him. Hades shook his head and warned,

"It is not so simple, Orpheus. She shall be returned to you, but you must lead her out of the Underworld. You must walk before her so that she can follow in your shadows. There is one stipulation. You cannot look at her soul once you are leaving. Never gaze upon her or you shall lose her again."

Orpheus nodded, eager to be reunited with his wife. The task sounded easy enough to him. Hades nodded again and closed his eyes for a moment, searching for her soul within the vast amount of souls inhabiting the Underworld. When he finally located her essence, in Asphodel waiting to be reborn as a nymph in the forest, Hades flicked his wrist in a quick motion and she appeared in front of him, next to Orpheus. Orpheus' eyes filled with love and joy as he rushed to embrace a confused looking Eurydice. When she realised he was real, she laughed, joyously and embraced him as well. She kissed him and whispered,

"I did not think I would see you again, love..."

He smiled and kissed her again before saying,

"My Lord, Hades, has given us a chance to leave, my love."

She looked at Hades, disbelievingly.

"Truly, my Lord?"

"Yes. However, he must look upon you and you must not speak to him as you leave. You cannot give any indication that you are still with him. He must have faith in the bond you share to keep you with him. This is the only way I can see some kind of sacrifice being made."

She smiled, brightly at him and said,

"You are truly the most benevolent of all the Gods, sire. If you wish anything of us, please ask it."

Hades shook his head.

"The other souls will be jealous and will try to whisper things to you, Orpheus. Ignore them. Do not believe the things they say. She _will_ be behind you. Believe in the love you share. Ignore all else."

Orpheus could not see why Hades was being so insistent in his warnings. How difficult could it truly be? He grinned at his bride and nodded at Hades.

"As you wish, my lord."

Realising that Orpheus was not taking the warnings seriously, but unable to do anything about it, he sighed and gestured towards the river where Charon stood, waiting for them to cross over.

"Thank you, my Lord!"

They said, simultaneously. Hades hugged his queen to him and flicked his wrist so that a large orb appeared before them, displaying the progress of the couple, as they held hands in the boat, staring into each other's eyes. Seph smiled, happily at them, a small tear of joy falling down her face.

"They're reunited, Hades. This is wonderful."

Hades looked down at her and whispered,

"They're not reunited yet. She does not receive her mortality until she leaves the cave. The roaming ghosts will be jealous. You cannot conceive of the things they would do to return her here, Seph."

Seph smiled and said,

"They love each other. It shall overcome everything, Hades."

Hades smiled gently at her naiveté and kissed her softly, just as Orpheus and his bride reached the other side of the river. They returned to their scrutiny of the orb and Hades whispered,

"This is where you let her stay behind you, Orpheus. Do not look at her or you shall lose her."

His whispered voice was somehow magnified till it was heard by Orpheus. He nodded and released his bride, passing Cerberus as he did so. The silly animal tilted his head in a doggy goodbye and woofed happily.

* * *

Orpheus took a deep breath before entering the cave that would lead to earth. He looked around, wondering what it was that Hades had warned him about. He searched the dark crevices of the cave walls, but found nothing. Confused, he walked further into the cave. Relieved that he had felt nothing, he walked further with more confidence. Maybe his love for Eurydice was so great that he would not be troubled. His Eurydice. Her beauty was beyond anything he knew. Suddenly, he felt a strong urge to see her beauty once more. He almost turned to look at her before catching himself and continuing on his path, shaking off the odd feeling.

As he trod the path, he began feeling a strong doubt that she was behind him. The urge to turn to her was so great, he had to stop, taking several deep breaths before continuing forward. He felt as though the air he was travelling through was thicker than honey, his body trying to pull him to look behind to ensure that Eurydice still followed. He grunted with the effort to continue forward. All of a sudden, he began thinking things he knew he could not come up with on his own. His own voice whispered in his mind,

"Hades did not allow her to follow. He wants your wife for himself. He is selfish. He wants all the beauties for himself. He is unsatisfied with his wife and wishes to have mine as well."

He shook his head, fighting the compulsion to turn to Eurydice. He forced himself further through the cave and al of a sudden, he saw a light. He knew he was nearing the end. He dragged himself further, ignoring the voices whispering horrifying things in his mind of what Hades would do to his bride. Of how he was such a fool to believe the Lord of Death. Of his wife laughing at his stupidity while in the arms of the King of the Underworld. Why would she want a mere musician when she could have a King?

Tears filled his eyes, leaking down his cheeks as he fought endlessly against the compulsion to turn. He fell to his knees many times. Suddenly, the air thinned and he was able to drag air into his empty lungs. He pulled himself up, finally able to walk freely. He almost laughed with joy, seeing the cave entrance looming a few feet up ahead. He quickened his steps as the voices disappeared from his mind. As he reached the lip of the cave, his wife's blood curdling scream of pain rose from behind him. He whipped around in time to see his wife's horrified face.

"No! We were almost-!"

She was not allowed to complete the sentence as her soul was ripped back into the cave, moving further and further away from him. He cried out, hoarsely, reaching out towards her. He sobbed and fell to his knees. He had been so close. He had not fallen for any of the other tricks, but he could not hear his wife in pain. It was his one trigger. Somehow, the jealous souls had figured out the one thing that would make him turn to her and used it against him. He lay there on the stone floor and willed himself to die, to pas unto the other side. Soon, he realised he could not stay there any longer for fear of retaliation from Hades, and returned to his house, his heart shattered once more.

* * *

Seph cried out,

"No!"

Her arm outstretched towards the orb as Orpheus turned around. She sobbed as Eurydice's soul was dragged back into the Underworld. Hades held her to him and flicked his fingers so that Eurydice's soul was transported to the Elysian Fields. After what she had just had to endure, watching the love of her life being tortured in front of her eyes that was the least he could do.

Seph shook her head against his chest, her voice thick with tears.

"There must be something you can do, Hades. He was almost out! Isn't there anything?"

Hades shook his head.

"I am sorry, love. I did what I could. He failed the task. I cannot change the terms now. I am sorry."

She nodded, understanding against his chest for a few minutes while he rubbed her back and arms, soothingly, before whispering,

"Hades?"

"Yes, love?"

He whispered back, kissing the top of her head, inhaling her sweet scent.

"Will our love pass tests like that one?"

He smiled and said,

"Our love transcends what a mere mortal can feel, my darling. Our emotions are celestial. As pure as a babe."

She shook her head and whispered,

"So was theirs' Hades! I felt it!"

He lifted her chin to look into her eyes which had darkened while she cried, and whispered,

"We shall pass all the tests, sweetheart. Our love shall overcome it all."

She smiled at him, reassured and kissed him.

They were as of yet unaware that their love was indeed to be tested in the time to come.

* * *

**E/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you have any comments, good or bad please review and tell me! Your input, no matter what it is, is much appreciated and loved! U guys are awesome, so hearing from u is awesome 2! Thanks again for reading!!**


	2. Chapter 2 Lemon

**A/N: Hi again! I tried to update as soon as I could, but again. Apartment shopping suuuucks. Lol. Also, my sister was online, so I couldn't just kick her off. Lol. Please excuse my lateness!! I hope you enjoy it!**

**I would love to thank ErikaCrotts, Fostersb, skele-gro, CuteANDSexxxy17 and soundarch for reviewing! You are too awesome! Thanks!**

**WARNING: This chapter contains a graphic lemon. If it offends, please skip it.**

Now, Hades and Demeter shared their time with Persephone. Soon after Hades' six months of her were finished, she was forced to return to her home on Olympus where she was watched over by her mother, never leaving her side until the night time came. As she did when she was younger, she rushed to her room to find her husband, Hades, waiting. She would rush into his arms and greet him as though they had not seen each other for years instead of a day. Their nights were short and filled with rushed kisses and touches as her mother was wont to check up on her more often now than she had when Seph was younger.

One day, in her mother's fields, Seph was playing with a flower, wondering what Hades was doing at the moment when a shadow fell over her. She lifted her eyes and saw a spritely young nymph, dressed in a green dress that just touched her knees. The sleeves were short and the material was of a sheer cool material, feeling much like a leaf. Her chin and nose were pointed and she had a small, pouted mouth with high cheekbones and the pointed ears of her kind. She was quite lovely, even for the natural beauty of the nymphs. Seph smiled at the young nymph and said,

"Hello. I'm Persephone."

The nymph fell to her knees and nodded, eagerly.

"I know! I am Menthe. I have heard all about you from my friends. I love you!"

Shocked, Seph almost staggered back.

"What?"

She said.

"I have heard only wonderful things about you! I love you, already!"

Relieved, Seph laughed and said,

"Well, let's get to know each other a little better, so you can decide if you love _me _or the idea of me."

Again, Menthe nodded eagerly and leaned forward to chat with Seph, who was enchanted with the young nymph, loving her as a little sister before she fully knew her. Such was the nature of Persephone, open to love and give love to all.

* * *

Demeter looked on from where she and her priest, Triptolemus, who had heard Seph cry out when she had been taken by Hades to the Underworld, stood under a tree, discussing corn. As a gift for informing Demeter as soon as he could, she had given him the gifts of a wooden plough and seed corn, on which he instructed the other mortals. She smiled to herself as she saw Kore laughing with Menthe. Everything was going according to plan.

Seph's days on Olympus soon dwindled, while she spent most of them playin

* * *

g and chatting with Menthe. They had quickly become friends, enjoying each other's company more and more each day. Soon, it was time for Seph to return to the Underworld. She bid her mother goodbye and made her way to where Menthe stood. She was sobbing uncontrollably.

"I shall not survive the winter without you, Seph!"

Seph smiled at her and said,

"I shall miss you too, Menthe."

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She turned to her mother, quickly.

"Mother! Can Menthe come with me to the Underworld? I beg of you!"

Demeter looked unconvinced and said,

"We do not wish to burden that devil you call a husband, Kore. What if he harms her in some way?"

Seph laughed.

"Mother, Hades would never hurt anyone. Least of all someone I care for. Please allow her to leave with me."

Reluctantly, Demeter thought it over before nodding and gesturing towards the chariot Hades had sent for her. Seph grabbed her mother for a hug, garnering her a true smile and a kiss on the forehead. Her mother whispered,

"I shall miss you, Kore."

Loving her mother with all her heart, a tear fell from Seph's eye as she said,

"And I you, mother. Farewell."

She pulled herself into the chariot and held out her hand to Menthe who took it eagerly, waving as the horses made their own way back to the Underworld. Demeter smiled evilly at her and Menthe's wave faltered for a second before she turned to look at where they were going.

* * *

Menthe was worried and scared as the giant black beasts took them into a large cave, as dark as night. Seph grinned at the dark and whispered,

"It's so good to be home!"

Shocked that pure Seph would _want _to be in such a place, she looked around for anything comforting. She was sorely disappointed as she only found stalactites and stalagmites. She shook her head as Seph laughed joyously. Something was wrong with this angelic Goddess who found delight in dark caves.

Menthe shivered as she saw a bat looking straight at them. She grabbed Seph's hand and the Goddess smiled at her, reassuringly.

"You are a nymph, Menthe. It is natural that you would be worried when you can't see the sun. It is fine. You will love it here."

Menthe nodded, not believing a word. She could never learn to love such a place! She only hoped that she could complete her task soon, leave this place and not hurt the Goddess she had come to love as a sister in the process.

She almost cried out as the chariot suddenly stopped, tightening her grip on Seph, who smiled absently at her, looking around for something. Suddenly, Menthe felt a tingle on the back of her neck. Thick arms wrapped around Seph's waist and a head covered in thick black hair lowered to her neck. A large man stood behind Seph, embracing her as a lover would. Menthe released Seph quickly, stepping back and almost falling from her perch on the chariot. The couple did not so much as notice her. Seph was cuddling into the unseen man.

"I missed you."

Menthe heard the giant man whisper. His voice was deep and made her skin tingle in a way it never had before. He moved his hands up and down Seph's sides and Menthe watched them as though mesmerised, wishing those strong hands were on her.

"I missed you more, love. Definitely more."

The large man laughed huskily, making shivers of awareness flow down Menthe's spine. She looked on, captivated as the man lifted his head. Her breath caught and she was unable to stop staring as she saw the man for the first time. He was the most handsome being she had ever seen. His lips were sculpted but masculine, his nose straight and narrow. His cheeks were high and aristocratic, his eyebrows like eagles wings, slashing above his obsidian eyes. His chin and jaw were so well formed, she only wished she could touch them. His powerful body was covered in black robes with one ruby amulet hanging around his neck with what seemed to be a rose in the centre. Her mouth watered at the sight of him and she had to shake herself out of her stupor as she realised that he was now wrapped around, kissing Seph as though he would eat her alive. Her heart fell to her feet until she remembered Demeter's orders.

"You will seduce Hades and find a way for Kore to come upon you both entwined. Do not fail me."

Well, she definitely did not want to fail, Demeter now did she?

* * *

Seph almost melted as her Hades kissed her with all the love he had for her. He had not been able to visit her for a month. Her mother had _insisted_ she slept in her room to share every minute of their last month together. She had been deprived of his touch for so long, she wished only to be alone with him for a few days. Weeks. Months. Years. She did not care which, as long as she was alone with _her _Hades. He lifted her into his strong arms and she heard a small whimper form behind her. Abruptly remembering Menthe, she reluctantly pulled away from Hades' lips. He growled and tried to reclaim her lips, but she dodged his kiss and whispered,

"We have a guest! Behave!"

"I was left completely without you for a month, without my marital needs sated for six months, you're finally her with me and you expect me to _behave?_"

He sounded so scandalized by the idea she laughed, making him grin. A small gasp was heard from behind her and she turned to see Menthe staring at Hades in awe.

"Menthe! This is my husband, Hades."

She nodded, stupidly and Hades smiled, reluctantly at her, before returning his gaze to Seph.

"Are you finished with formalities, love? Can I take you to our chambers, now?"

He whispered, huskily. She slapped his shoulder, playfully and said,

"Be polite! We need to show her to her rooms! Put me down, you brute!"

He grinned at that and whispered,

"I'll show you a brute, sweetheart. As soon as we are alone."

This garnered a strangled sound from Menthe and a scarlet blush from Seph. He put her on her feet, gently, her face still red and she cleared her throat before saying,

"Menthe, I shall show you to your rooms now. Please follow me."

Menthe nodded and followed Seph who was walking next to her husband who had wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping her near him. Seph smiled up at her husband and whispered,

"Soon."

* * *

Hades rolled his eyes, annoyed and glanced at his guest, who at once averted her eyes as though she had been doing something naughty. He shrugged it off and leaned down to speak to Seph.

"Who is she?"

"We have become so close, darling. Please bear with her. She might be shy around men, I'm not sure. I haven't been around men with her before."

"You haven't been around men? Good."

Hades said smugly. She jabbed him in the side with his elbow, earning her a chuckle for her efforts and she began laughing as well. They were finally in front of the largest of the guest rooms and Seph turned to Menthe to say,

"I really hope you find everything to your liking, Menthe. I wish I could stay longer with you but-"

She was not allowed to continue as Hades interrupted.

"But, she has not seen her husband for an extremely long period of time and she needs to see that things are to _his_ liking right now. So, please make yourself at home. We shall see you at dinner. Thanatos, my servant shall come see to your needs."

With that abrupt farewell, Hades lifted Seph into his arms, while she squealed in protest and carried her off, disappearing around the corner to their bedchambers. He lightly dumped Seph on the bed and stood there, looking at her. He eyes flashed daggers at him.

"She is my _guest_, Hades. We do not treat our guests like anim-"

She was cut off as he kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth. At once, all thoughts fled and she just reacted, moaning and grabbing onto his shoulders, pulling him closer. A month of abstinence from Hades felt like a century.

* * *

Hades kissed Seph deep, almost desperate to have her. There was no finesse as he lifted his hands to her gown and ripped her dress from her body, hungry for her. Only pure need. He kissed his way down her body, ravenous for the taste of her. His tongue tasted every inch of her exposed flesh, while she made small sounds, almost like a kitten, arching into him, begging for more. He took one of her breasts into his mouth and she sobbed with need. He licked at her distended nipple, swollen for him, sensitive to every flick of his tongue. He ate at her flesh, leaving marks on her flesh, branding her as his own. He nibbled at her hip bone, where he had learned, she was extremely sensitive. She cried out, bucking in his arms as he suckled on the flesh there. She sobbed with want, whispering,

"Please..."

"What do you wish of me, Seph? What do you need?"

She flushed at his request, turning her face away from him. He bit her skin, making her cry out again.

"Tell me, Seph."

She bit her lip and whispered,

"Kiss me..."

He lifted to her mouth and placed a chaste kiss against her trembling lips. Her scarlet blush spread as she whispered,

"Not there..."

He grinned, holding her chin, making her look into his eyes.

"It is just you and I, little one. No one else will hear."

"Kiss me down _there_, please..."

She murmured, mortified. He laughed at her wording, making her glare at him, before he kissed her belly button.

"Here?"

Seph shook her head, twisting her body towards him. He grinned and kissed her waist.

"Here?"

She shook her head once more, writhing against him. He kissed the sensitive flesh where her core met her thigh.

"Here?"

She cried out and shook her head almost violently this time. She gripped his head in her hands and pushed him where she needed him. He groaned at her wanton behaviour, kissing her core, gently. She cried out again and pushed him harder against her. He laughed, the deep rumble vibrating against her, making her squirm, her already leaking womanhood getting wetter. He lapped at her, tasting her for what seemed like an eternity. He took his time, savouring her, suckling on her clit as if she were a sweet he savoured, taking her to the brink of passion before releasing her and kissing her, gently, pulling her back, so many times, tears of frustration flowed freely from her eyes.

"Please!"

She sobbed, brokenly. Hearing this, he looked up at her, her hair twisted around her as she writhed, her body perfect, needing him. He pulled away, flipped her over and began kissing the sweet curve of her behind, while she sobbed her need against the pillow. He pulled her upper body back until she was kneeling in front of him. He grabbed the pillows quickly and stuffed them under her, propping her so that her backside was her most prominent feature.

He caressed her gently, before pulling himself up behind her, pulling her body to his, turning her head so that she twisted her body to kiss him. He cupped her breast, flicking her nipple back and forth while he used his other hand to delve between the soft lips of her core and find the straining hardness of her engorged clit. It was so sensitive, the first touch of his finger there made her bite his lip.

He gasped at the sharp pain that somehow sharpened the pleasure. He growled and began rubbing her clit in retaliation, roughly bringing her to the plateau of ecstasy before removing his hand. She cried out, bereft and he parted her nether lips, roughly pushing himself into her. She sobbed in relief, moving against him, trying to get him to thrust. He cried out at the feel of her, clenching her body around him, massaging his shaft until his eyes crossed.

He leaned her forward, blindly thrusting into her, gripping her hips and making love to her like an animal, wild and rough. She felt her body splintering as her orgasm neared, more explosive than it had ever been. Suddenly, she was engulfed in pleasure, waves of relief crashing against her, blinding her to all but him. She came apart, screaming her pleasure, before his thrusts quickened and suddenly, he slammed into her, one final thrust as he fell over the edge as well, free falling, as his body erupted inside of her.

As they slowly settled back to earth, he turned them, still inside of her and settled them in the bed, finally content, with his Queen in his arms.

They would not make it to dinner that night.

* * *

Menthe gasped as Hades slid his hand from her face, down her body, to her beast. Only a few men had ever touched her there, when she had been curious about the pleasures that a man and woman found together. She had spent a few wonderful nights, exploring these pleasures with young, eager, attractive men. Never, however, had she felt as she did now, as Hades kissed her softly, his hand massaging her swollen breasts. She moaned his name as his other hand moved to her other breast. He squeezed and fondled her, his expertise unquestionable. Slowly, his right hand made its way lower, caressing her soft skin as he made his way to her most private spot. She cried out hoarsely at the first touch of his fingers, stroking her, softly. She lifted her hips into his ministrations, and he pressed his fingers slightly harder against her, where her clit was. She cried out at the delicious pressure of his fingers. He slid one of his fingers between her lips, circling her clit as her body reacted wildly to his touch. Her core spilled out creamy liquid, desperate for him. He slid his longest finger into her, roughly thrusting it into her, just as she needed it, the antithesis of the finger lightly stroking her clit. Suddenly, his fingers became rougher and he was bringing her to the brink of pleasure.

"I'll show you a brute..."

He whispered, before Menthe woke, gasping, as she felt her own hand massaging her breast while the other was between her legs, exactly where she had dreamt Hades' hands were. Frustrated, she moved her hands, her body screaming out a protest. She hesitated, before moving her fingers once more between her legs, rubbing her breast with her other hand. She closed her eyes, picturing Hades, imagining they were his hands, just like the dream. She quickened her fingers and her hips began moving, of their own accord. She arched, crying out, as she brought herself to climax.

She _would_ have Hades, eventually. For now, however, her hand would just have to suffice.

**E/N: I hope you enjoyed it!!! This was actually really greuling to write. I'm not too sure why. I love this couple, so it shouldn't be tha hard, but i think it's the idea of someone _other _than just Seph and Hades in the story, ya no? lol...**

**Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed it!!! Please leave any comments, good or bad. I'm totally open to constructive critisism. Now, I hafta change the rating. lol.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi there! I am so sorry that this is so late, but as I said in the previous chapter, I wanted to take some time to analyse the story a bit, gather my ideas and apply. Lol. So once again, I'm very sorry!**

**Special thanks to soundarch, ErikaCrotts, skele-gro, Fostersb, CuteANDSexxxy17! You guys are awesome!! ;)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

The next day, Hades and Seph woke to share another heated moment, soaking up each other's presence like they had been starved. Too soon, there was a knock at the door. Hades huffed out his breath, aggrieved, and made his way to the door after ensuring that his wife was completely covered from sight. He opened the door to find Thanatos, smiling at him. He glared at Thanatos.

"Can this wait?"

Still smiling, he said,

"No."

Hades sighed and said,

"What is it, Thanatos?"

"Thanatos?"

Seph said, from the bed. She made her way over to them, much to Hades consternation, only covered by the sheet.

"Is Menthe settling in?"

"Your guest?"

Thanatos asked, gently.

"Yes."

Seph replied, nodding her head.

"She is settling in fine. She came to dinner last night, but she seemed a little overwhelmed by the entire staff, so she left rather quickly."

"The entire staff?"

Seph squeaked. The entire staff usually only gathered for special occasions. Thanatos nodded, smiling.

"We were very anxious to see our Queen. We have missed you."

Seph flushed, scarlet and said, worried,

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry! If I would have known..."

She trailed off and then began murmuring to herself about making it up to them by having a little get together. She ran off to get dressed for the day, ready to begin planning and Hades hit his forehead with his palm.

"Dammit, Thanatos, I just got her back! Did you _need _to mention the dinner? Now she's going to be away from me all day, planning."

Suddenly, Seph appeared next to him and kissed his cheek.

"No, love. I've missed you too much to be apart from you today. I can plan with you there. You could help me!"

She said excitedly. Exceedingly put upon, he shook his head, bid farewell to Thanatos, who waved, cheerfully and left, whistling.

"He's probably just happy that I am harassed..."

Hades muttered.

"What was that, sweetheart?"

Seph asked from near the bed.

"Nothing, dearest. Are you going to accompany me to the judgement today?"

Seph grinned and said,

"I love watching you judge, my love. Of course I'll join you."

He smiled at her before going over to hold her around her waist and nuzzle her neck. She sighed, happy and leaned back into him, cuddling for a moment before remembering they had to leave. She turned and pressed a kiss to his lips before going to get ready once more. Hades smiled as she rushed off and began dressing himself for the day.

Menthe left her room, making her way down the hall to explore the castle she was to call home from now on. Hopefully, if all went well, she would be Queen of this place. She touched the marble wall, her fingers lightly grazing the smooth surface. She turned a corner and entered the throne room. She had been here after dinner last night, staring at the smaller of the two thrones that sat against the front wall of the room. Now, she was shocked to see that both thrones had been moved. Perplexed, she searched the rooms of the palace for it, unable to find them.

Giving up, she decided to explore outside the palace. Once she stepped outside, she noticed the crowd that occupied the bank of the river Styx. She made her way towards the crowd, pushing her way through to the front of it. She realised only a moment later that the crowd she had just pushed through were souls waiting to be judged. She shivered at the thought of the corporeal dead brushing against her. How disgusting! She belatedly saw Seph and Hades sitting on thrones, with Seph's head on Hades' shoulder, their hands entwined, as Hades judged souls. Seph laughed as Hades murmured something to her and a flash of jealousy jolted Menthe.

She was gorgeous. Why couldn't she be a hag? It would have been much easier to steal Hades from her then. Why did she have to be nice, as well? Menthe grudgingly allowed that not only was Seph beautiful but her personality made her more attractive, as well. She frowned, her mind twisting thoughts together. Maybe she was not as nice as she seemed. She was probably selfish and horrible on the inside. That was why she did not share Hades. Yes. That was it. She was evil on the inside and he was keeping Hades with her through some sort of magic. Of course! How had it taken so long for Menthe to see it? Persephone was truly evil and Menthe needed to save her beloved Hades from her clutches.

Suddenly, Seph saw her and grinned, waving her over.

_Look at her._ Thought Menthe. _She thinks we're all oblivious to her ploy. She'll see. They all will see. I will have Hades. She cannot keep him!_

Plastering a smile on her face, she made her way over to where they sat. Hades glanced at her, preoccupied and flicked his wrist so that s seat appeared next to Hades.

_Maybe he isn't as entranced as he seems! He thought of my comfort! Maybe he loves me as well, but it can't overcome this evil witch's spell!_

Menthe grinned at the thought and Persephone leaned over, asking,

"How was your night, Menthe?"

Menthe held back the glare she wanted to give Persephone as a reply. She smiled instead and said,

"Oh yes! Thank you so much for bringing me, Seph! I love it here!"

Persephone grinned at her and it was all Menthe could do to not strangle her.

"Good! I'm so glad! I knew this was a good decision!"

Hades whispered something to Seph, making her laugh and Menthe felt the loathing she felt for Persephone bubble in her chest. She almost leaned forward to claw at her eyes when she saw Persephone kiss Hades' cheek and caress his jaw, but held herself back.

Soon, the plan would be seen to completion and she would have Hades all to herself. Until then, she would have to learn to share.

Seph had never been so happy in all her life. She had everything. Her husband and her best friend sat on either side of her and she was where she needed to be. She sighed, content and whispered,

"I'm so happy, Hades."

He smiled, gently at her and whispered,

"I am glad that you brought her, then, if she brings you such joy."

She laughed and said,

"You underestimate your only ability to bring me joy, Hades. You are my light."

He laughed, something he rarely did. He would chuckle or smile, but he seldom allowed himself to laugh unless they were alone.

""If I am your light, love, then you are the sun. I would be nothing without you."

She smiled, cradled his face gently in her hands and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He should be embarrassed with everyone watching, but he had found he felt no shame when it came to Seph. He glanced over for a second at Menthe and was startled to see hatred glowing out of her eyes. He blinked and she noticed him looking at her. At once, the expression disappeared and she smiled, shyly at him. He shook his head, wondering if he had imagined it, before he went back to judging.

Soon, Seph yawned. He leaned over, to press a kiss to her temple and to whisper,

"I am sorry, love. I did not let you get much sleep last night. Go rest. I will come to you as soon as I am able."

She smiled at his concern and left, waving at her friend as she left to go to their chambers. He returned his gaze to the line of souls waiting for judgement, looking at them much more sternly than he had before, when Seph was present.

The transformation that came over Hades when Persephone left was almost instantaneous. All tenderness left him to change him into the cold, cruel King of the Underworld they all knew him as. Menthe knew that this was just more proof that Persephone had casted a spell over him. Even the souls noticed the change and quavered under his arctic gaze, whispering amongst themselves,

"Is the Queen returning?"

"I hope so..."

"Look at his eyes! She should come back..."

Menthe glared at them. Did they not see that this was the real Hades, not the entranced fool that Persephone dragged around by the nose? She moved her chair slightly closer to Hades, Persephone's throne still between them.

"Is it tasking, my lord?"

Hades turned to her with a slightly bored expression and asked,

"What?"

_Not very polite._ She thought, but shrugged it off and angled her body towards his, asking,

"Is the judging of souls very taxing to you?"

One eyebrow shot up, arching and he said, with no inflection in his voice to give away his emotions,

"It is my duty."

Before returning his gaze to the souls once more and saying,

"Asphodel."

To a young man in peasant's clothes. The peasant had been clutching his hat in his hands and wringing it in worry over the judgement. Now, a shocked look flickered over his face before he raced forward to kneel and kiss Hades' ring.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Hades smiled down at him and nodded. Menthe frowned as she realised that this single soul who Hades would never see again had earned more of a reaction from him than she ever had, even though she would be staying there. Confused, it dawned on Menthe that maybe this was part of Persephone's spell! He would not be able to express his love to other females while he was entranced. More determined than ever to break the spell, Menthe waited for him to finish judging, in silence.

When was she going to leave? Hades wondered as he looked out of the corner of his eyes at Menthe, who had not stopped staring at him since she sat down. He was feeling very uncomfortable under her scrutiny and for some reason he could not find it in himself to like her. He knew it was unreasonable. She brought joy to his beloved Seph, but he could not help but sense that all was not as it seemed with her. Seph had left and he had expected her to follow suit. However, she had remained seated and had even been bold enough to attempt to flirt with him. He knew what flirting was when he saw it. When he went to Olympus, all the unmarried Goddesses all but threw themselves at him.

He glanced at her and at once, a smile flittered across her face. Did she not have better things to do than flirt with a married man? A married man who was not even slightly _interested_ at that. Sure, she was attractive in her own way, not that he had taken much time to notice. He had been busy with Seph. However, he could not help that his eyes took in every detail and committed them to memory. He knew she would have been attractive enough if she had not been standing next to Seph at the time. Alone, she was pretty, but next to the utter glory that was his wife, she looked like a sodden rag. He continued judging, trying and failing to ignore the close scrutiny of his wife's best friend.

After the judging was complete and Hades had given his verdict to the last soul, he got up to leave, nodded farewell to Menthe, without saying a word and turned to go to the library.

"Where are you going now, my lord?"

He turned to her, expressionless once more and said,

"To the library to log the placement of the souls."

She smiled coyly up at him and asked in her sweetest voice,

"May I join you?"

Hades stared blankly at her for a moment, then nodded slightly, before turning to continue along to his destination. Inside, she wanted to dance. He had acknowledged her! Maybe the longer Persephone stayed away, the more the spell broke. Overjoyed, she all but skipped behind him to the library. He entered before her and held the door open. She was overjoyed inside. If she needed anymore proof that he loved her, she had just seen it! He held the door for her and pulled a chair to seat her. She melted inside at the knowledge. She propped her chin in her palm with her elbow on the table and stared at him while he went about filling the journal he logged his souls in, with a quill and ink. He glanced up at her and frowned before asking,

"Do you wish for me to find a book that you may read? This process is quite boring."

She shook her head, overwhelmed that he cared enough to find her a book so she would not be bored. She gave a dreamy sigh before settling in to watch him work.

If she did not cease the staring, Hades was ready to throw the journal at her. He had allowed her to join him so that she would see how boring it was and eventually leave. Since his initial plan was not working, he had then tried to get her a book. Again, she showed no interest and even dared to give a little sigh, that he only heard from persons of the female persuasion when he either lifted something or removed a piece of clothing. He glanced at her from under his lashes and she sat there, smiling at him. Was she daft? Did Seph pity her daft friend and decide to bring her down to the Underworld so she would not be picked on? That sounded like something his caring wife would do.

Relieved, he smiled back at her. She seemed shocked and then, she grinned back at him. She leaned forward and touched his hand. His smile dropped and he pulled back his hand at once. She seemed puzzled before saying,

"I was going to rub your hand. You stopped writing, so I assumed your hand was tired."

Nonplussed, Hades smiled. Was this the usual behaviour of daft people? Since he never made it his business to hand around people in general, definitely not the daft ones, he said,

"No. I just wanted to make sure you were not bored."

She beamed at him and said,

"No. Not at all. It is far more interesting her than it was on earth. I just ran around with the other nymphs and played all day. It is so much more serious and peaceful here. I was never allowed to just sit and rest for a while there."

_Am I supposed to listen while she speaks? _Hades wondered. He had not heard a word she had said. He had looked over her shoulder and seen the painting he had commissioned of Seph, so that he would have her to look at while he was alone. She was wearing her wedding dress, with a bouquet of ruby red roses in her hands, her smile enchanting. He hummed with pleasure and then focused his eyes back to Menthe. She was looking eager for him to say something. Stuck, he said,

"Well, I am almost finished, so you won't have to be bored much longer."

She looked confused for a minute, so that he figured she had not asked him if he as almost finished. He smiled, playing it off as just a random statement and her confused expression dissolved on one more of those little sighs. He almost frowned at her, but realised it would be rude to frown at a daft person. They did not know better than to do the things they did. At least he thought they did not. Utterly confused, and reminding himself to ask Seph what was the proper etiquette to deal with daft persons, he went back to logging souls.

He was so perfect. Everything about him was just _perfect_. She grinned as she remembered how worried he was that she would be bored. She frowned when she remembered his reply to her statement. For a moment, she thought he had not been paying attention to what she was saying, but that was silly. He had been looking in her direction. He had not been writing in his little book. He had been fully focused on _her_. She wanted to shove that fact in Persephone's face. She knew the spell was wearing off. As soon as they were in the library, alone, he had treated her far more kindly than he ever had before. She was sure that it was her love that was nullifying the effects of the spell.

Everyone knew that true love would rid anyone of whatever evil spell had been cast on them. She just needed to be alone with him more often. That would happen only when Persephone was out of the picture. She needed to find a way to get rid of Persephone. She was a liability that Menthe did not need in her romance.

Menthe sat on her bed, quietly, planning a way to make Persephone leave her husband forever. Only then would she have a chance to lift the spell from Hades.

She smiled, suddenly. She had it! Persephone would not only leave, she would never want to see Hades again. She laughed, the sound morbid in the quiet room.

**E/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm sorry if it did not have much Seph and Hades time, but this isn't**_** exactly**_** their fic. Lol. Please tell me if there were any mistakes!! Any comments, good or bad are very welcome!**


	4. Chapter 4 Lemon

**A/N: Hi there! I am so sorry that this chapter is so late!!! Please forgive me! **

**Thanks to ErikaCrotts, skele-gro and Fostersb for being so awesome!!! **

**Special thanks to ErikkaCrotts. You know you're bad. (In the good way) ;)**

**WARNING: This chapter contains a lemon (sexual content) that is not appropriate for certain readers. I hope it does not offend. If it does, please skip it!**

Seph sat on the bed, reading a thick, bound book. When she sensed Hades' presence in the room, she put down the book, marking her place and opened her arms to him. He grinned and all but dove into the arms of his wife. She smiled against his shoulder and whispered,

"Everything alright?"

He sighed and whispered,

"I missed you."

She tightened her hold on him and said,

"You were only gone for an hour."

He shook his head and whispered,

"But you've been gone so long I don't want to miss a minute with you."

She smiled and lifted his head to hold it between her hands. She pressed her lips to his and murmured,

"I love you, husband."

He smiled and chuckled against her lips, the vibration of his lips making her own tingle.

"I love you, wife."

She grinned and kissed him, deeply. He lifted his hand, burying it in her thick hair, holding her to him and pushing his tongue into her mouth at the same time. She moaned at the taste of him and gripped his shoulders with her hands. He laughed huskily as she tugged at him to hurry. For a second, she took the time to glare at him before kissing his jaw, licking the curve of his ear. He shuddered and murmured,

"Seph, don't..."

Before she grinned and continued her way from his ear to his neck, nibbling and marking. Seph pushed him down to the bed before she began unbuttoning his robes. With an impatient flick of his wrist, Hades' clothes disappeared altogether. Seph shook her head at him.

"This isn't a chariot race, Hades. The first to get undressed isn't the winner."

He smiled up at her and said,

"I win anyway."

She growled and with a flick of her own wrist, her clothes dissolved into rose petals. He smiled at the femininity of the gesture and took in his wife's glorious form. He caressed his palm along her side, noting the sharp indent of her waist and then the sudden flare of her hip. He groaned at her full figure and leaned forward to take a perk nipple into his mouth. She pushed him back, effectively cutting off his progress. He frowned at her, deprived and she grinned mischievously, shaking her head as if to a naughty child.

"No, Hades. You must wait your turn."

She lowered her head to his chest and kissed the hard, prominent muscles there. He groaned and laid his head back, comfortably closing his eyes and allowing her to have her way with him. He smiled, dreamily as she kissed her way to his abdomen, ribbed with strength. He caressed her golden locks for a second before she lifted enough to push his hands away so that his hands lay on either side of his head. He shrugged it off as her needing concentration and just enjoyed the ministrations of his beloved wife. She moved to the lower part of his body and his eyes snapped open.

She lifted his heavy, full erection with her hand. It had been straining towards his navel. She stroked it up and down. He groaned and arched as she tightened her hold, increasing the friction of her hands on his body. He moaned and she rubbed one hand on the head of his erection, taking the pre-come with it, lubricating him. He groaned and gasped back a cry as she cupped his sac, massaging it with one of her hands, working his erection with the other. Suddenly, she took the tip of him into her mouth. He cried out inarticulately and lifted his hip towards her, making her take more of him into her. She gagged for a second and he pulled away at once. He sat up and pulled her to him, cradling her.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart."

He cooed. She chuckled and said,

"It was fine. Just more than a mouthful for a second."

She winked, making him frown sternly at her.

"I could have hurt you, Seph."

She smiled, love filling her eyes and pressed her lips to his. He took her mouth in a fiery kiss and tasted a bit of himself on her tongue. The memory of her mouth on him caused chills on him. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Hades growled loudly, alerting the intruder to his mood. The person knocked once more, insistently. Hades pressed his forehead to Seph's. She whispered,

"If they're willing to face death by your hands to deliver a message, it should be urgent."

He grunted and moved off the bed, covering her. He flicked his wrist, making pants appear on his body, and made his way to the door. When he opened it, he found Menthe. He frowned at her.

"Menthe? What do you need now?"

She smiled brightly up at him, ignoring his rude words and, ogling his chest, said,

"Supper is served. Thanatos told me and I decided to tell you so we could go together."

Hades nodded, all expression leaving his face and said,

"We shall join you momentarily."

She beamed up at him and was about to enter under his arm when he stepped in front of her, blocking her passage and said,

"I apologise but my wife is in a state of undress. I do not enjoy anyone seeing her that way except myself, of course."

This caused the little nymphs features to pucker into such a sour expression he swore she swallowed a lemon. He smiled, politely at her and said,

"We will join you soon."

He nodded to her, and closed the door in her face. He sighed and returned to his wife. He leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. She laughed and pulled away.

"Who was it?"

"The daft nuisance you brought with you."

She laughed and said,

"She is not daft and she is not a nuisance, Hades. Do not say those things about my friend."

He frowned.

"I thought you brought her here because she was daft and others above made fun of her. It sounds like something you would do..."

She laughed and said,

"Well I did no such thing. I brought her here as a friend."

He frowned, remembering all the things he had blamed on her daft mind.

"She is not mad in the least, Seph?"

She frowned.

"Not that I know. She may be behaving strange because it is her first time in a new place. She doesn't know anyone here except me, Hades, and I have not exactly been readily available to her. She has said that you seem real to her from my stories. Maybe she thinks of you as another link to the outside world, so she's clinging to that. She is not daft, just lonely."

Hades nodded, accepting this explanation. He leaned forward to take Seph to the bed in one tumble. He spread her legs and ground his lower body against her. She cried out, shocked and aroused by the sudden change. The soft cloth of his pants rasped against her body, making her groan with need. Suddenly, his pants were gone and his shaft was pressing into her. While Hades worked his way fully into her, he took her nipple into his mouth, suckling. She was gasping in time to his thrusts, enticing him more. She groaned as he suckled her and buried her hand in his thick hair. Her lips parted and she made small mewling sounds, her pleasure almost too great. He shivered as he heard her, his body spasming at the sound.

He thrust into her harder, making her scream his name. He lifted her for a second, separating them, making her whimper with need before turning them so that she lay over him. He then thrust up into her, claiming her as his. She soon figured out that he wanted her on top. She began moving her hips, lifting them until they were almost separated before dropping down, taking all of him, and riding him so that his eyes crossed with bliss.

Soon, her body spasmed, clenching around him as she came, her pleasure flowing through her like a tidal wave. She was unable to move as she came, crying out his name. He took up the thrusting, increasing the speed and depth of the thrust so that soon, his own body was overcome with pleasure, emptying his seed into her. He held her to him, roaring his pleasure to the ceiling.

As their bodies settled from their explosive orgasms, Seph lay tired in the arms of her husband.

"I can't move..."

She whispered, hoarsely. The screaming had caused her voice to become a bit rough. She grinned as she heard herself and Hades chuckled along.

"I don't suppose you would rather stay here instead of going for supper, love?"

He whispered, his own voice a bit more gravelly than usual.

She laughed and said,

"Just like we missed supper the past few days? Having food brought to our room is not how we're supposed to behave, Hades."

He groaned, cuddling her closer and whispered,

"Why not?"

She laughed in his hold, before sitting up and saying,

"You are the _King_, Hades! I am the new Queen. We have to have our supper with the others."

"I don't want to..."

He said, pouting cutely at her. She laughed, straddling him, making him lose his pout. Instead, he gave her a lecherous look. She trailed one finger from his lips down towards his newly hardening manhood.

"I'll make it worth your time when we return to our sleeping chamber, husband."

He growled and jumped up, dressing them both with a gesture of his hand.

"Come, we do not want to keep the subjects waiting, dearest."

He said in his most regal voice. She laughed, her eyes twinkling, enchanting him and she said,

"Yes, love. As you wish."

She took his arm and they left to go to the dining chamber.

* * *

From a dark corner near their bedroom, Menthe emerged. She glared at the laughing couple. The spell Persephone had casted was stronger than ever now that she was near. Menthe had seen the effects when she had knocked on their sleeping chamber. Hades had never been so cold towards her. The witch, Persephone, had somehow renewed the spell. Menthe grinned as she imagined her plan coming to fruition.

* * *

Hades made his way back from the dining chamber, Seph in his arms. At some point during the after-supper talk that all their subjects had decided to have about the everyday goings on of the Underworld, his Seph had slipped into a deep slumber against his chest. He smiled down at her as she lay in his arms, his heart melting as a lock of golden blonde hair fell across her cheek. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead and continued on to their sleeping chamber. Suddenly, Menthe ran alongside him and said,

"My Lord! I must speak with you!"

Hades looked over at her, much less tolerant since discovering she was not daft.

"I am rather busy, as you may see, Menthe. What do you need to speak about?"

"I need to speak with you _urgently_, my Lord. I will meet you in your library."

With that, the little nymph ran off before Hades could stop her. He sighed and continued on to place Seph gently on the blankets covering their opulent bed. He kissed her lips lightly, and left, glancing at her one last time form the doorway. He made his way to the library, slightly annoyed. When he entered, he saw Menthe in the middle of the room. She smiled at him.

"What is it that is so urgent, Menthe?"

He asked. She opened her mouth when suddenly, her face contorted in agony and her hand touched her head. She wobbled a bit before falling forward. Quickly, Hades moved to catch her. He lifted her and carried her to the soft, padded seat near the fire and unceremoniously dumped her in it. He looked at her for a moment, wondering if she would regain consciousness. When she did not, he made his way to Hecate's lair and knocked politely on her door. She opened it and smiled at him.

"Hades! To what do I owe this honour? Do you wish to come in, my Lord?"

He smiled at her and said,

"No, thank you, Hecate. I do have a bit of a problem, however. My wife's guest has fainted in the library. I wanted to know if you had any concoction to help her gain consciousness once more."

* * *

Menthe could not believe how he had treated her! She had fainted and he had thrown her on a chair and left! The spell must be stronger than she had thought. She was about to sit up, when suddenly, the door opened. He must have returned! She lay back down on the comfortable chair and feigned sleep.

"Poor dear."

She heard. _Was that a female voice?_ She was about to open her eyes when suddenly, a spoon was stuck in her mouth. She ended up swallowing a foul tasting brew. She woke, sputtering and looking around wildly to see the culprit who had forced her to drink such a nasty blend. Her eyes stopped on Hecate who was smiling serenely down at her.

"Are you feeling better, Menthe?"

Menthe nodded at her, dumbly and Hecate smiled, evilly.

"Good. The next time you wish to feign a fainting spell, dear, pleasure try to not let your eyelids flutter so much. Also, if there _is_ a next time, you will be getting something nastier than a potion, I can promise you that."

She leaned closer, her dark aura all but glowing around her.

"I am the _Goddess_ of Witchcraft and Sorcery, nymph. Do not think because I bow down to my King, my powers are nothing. Do not interfere in their marriage you little twig. If you do, you will find that the Underworld inhabitants aren't nearly as nice as they seem."

With that last threat, she pulled away, her face becoming serene.

"Have a good day!"

She said, cheerily. Hecate turned and flounced out the room. Menthe stared after her, scared witless, before remembering where she was. She got up, still scared and made her way to her chamber. On the way, she saw Hades. He stopped and smiled at her.

"Are you feeling better?"

Menthe beamed and nodded at him.

"Good. Goodnight, Menthe. May sweet dreams grace your sleep."

He turned and left, unaware that the words he said to all his subjects would impact Menthe in a special way.

Menthe stared after Hades, wishing she could follow him. She did not need to listen o that witch Hecate. It was probably Hecate who made the potions that made Hades love Persephone. She was trying to warn her off because she _knew_ that Menthe's love was strong and would endure. Menthe smiled to herself. She was a threat to Persephone's hold on Hades. Menthe was not going to listen to threats from scared witches. She was going to pursue Hades until the spell was broken. Her first plan had failed but she had many more where that one came from.

Menthe smiled deviously, planning her next attempt at wooing Hades.

* * *

**E/N: Thank you so much for reading! Again, I am so sorry this is so late! Reaaaaaally sorry! But I couldn't help it. I hope you enjoyed it!!! If you have any comments, good or bad, please review and tell me! Criticism is welcome!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi there everyone!! This one took a bit more time cause itz d last chapter. I actually finished a whiiiile ago, but didnt have net access. Sorry!!! I wanna thank everyone for sticking with me through all the good and bad! Y'all rock!!**

**Special thanks to skele-gro, ErikaCrotts, Fostersb, CheetoFlavoredLove, child of a fallen angel and Miseriie for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome.**

**And to ErikaCrotts, Fostersb, skele-gro, CuteANDSexxxy17, sound arch, CheetoFlavoredLove, child of a fallen angel and Miseriie for reviews throughout the entire story. Thanks so much!! **

**I really hope you enjoy it!**

Menthe discreetly entered the room, looking around to each dark corner and crevice to ensure full privacy. After a few minutes, she assured herself she was alone and began looking at the wall with crystal bottles. She peered at each, the name of each etched into the base of the bottle. When she had found the one she had been searching for, she smiled to herself and removed it from the shelf. She emptied its contents into a vial she carried in a small purse around her waist and refilled it with water from another vial she carried. She smiled at the clear substance in the vial, laughing deviously.

* * *

Hades and Seph made their way from Seph's personal garden, hand in hand and laughed as they chatted. Seph smiled up at him with such love in her eyes that he felt a glow inside himself. He stroked a finger down her cheek and was about to lower his head to kiss her, when Menthe came up to them. She smiled at Seph and said,

"Seph! You were in your garden? I was looking for you! Did you have a good time?"

Seph smiled at her and grabbed her in a hug.

"Yes! A wonderful time. I was looking for you before we went to the garden, but I could not find you. Where were you?"

Hades saw a small look of guilt on her face before it changed into a smile. He blinked, wondering if he had imagined it. He shook his head slightly and smiled patiently down at her, trying not to hurry her along.

"I was probably wandering the halls. This is a _very_ big palace."

Seph laughed.

"I did some of that myself when I first came here. Do not worry. The next time, I will surely bring you."

"Can we spend some time together _now_, Seph? I feel as though we barely see each other."

She pouted and Hades wanted to smack her. Did she not realise that Seph was _his_? That her time and energy belonged to _him_? Seph laughed.

"Of course! What do you wish to do?"

Incredulous, Hades glanced down at his little wife. Apparently, _Seph_ did not realise that she belonged to him either. He sighed, resigning himself to an afternoon without his wife. He smiled at them and said,

"Ladies, I will take your leave now."

Seph leaned up to kiss him. He took her mouth in a swift but deep kiss, leaving her panting. He grinned, wolfishly, letting her know that she was missing out on an afternoon with him. She stroked her hand down his cheek to his jaw, looking at him longingly before decisively turning back to Menthe. Hades sighed and left, not noticing the rage that had filled Menthe's eyes for a few seconds.

* * *

Seph had seen it however, and wondered at the sudden change in her dearest friend.

* * *

Hades made his way to the library to log the souls of the day and sat at the desk he used. He opened the log book and dipped his quill to begin writing when suddenly, the door opened. He glanced up and stared, seeing Menthe outlined in the doorway.

"Does Seph need me?"

He asked, getting to his feet at once. A flash of annoyance crossed her face before she smiled, charmingly at him and said,

"No. She sent me to give you something to drink. She thought you might be thirsty."

"For her..."

He murmured, making her ask,

"What was that, my Lord?"

Hades smiled.

"Nothing. Please bring it here."

She brought over his usual golden goblet, filled to the brim with wine. He smiled and sipped at it.

"Very nice. Thank you."

She beamed at him and he felt quite awkward as she remained there, peering at him as if he were some kind of theatre act. He muttered,

"Do you not have to return to Seph's side?"

She seemed shocked for a moment and nodded, distractedly. She left and shut the door. Hades sighed and took a gulp of the sweet wine his wife had sent for him. He pretended the sweet taste was her lips and the entire goblet was finished before he knew it. He smiled and began to work once more.

* * *

It was a few minutes before Hades began to feel himself get dizzy. His vision began to waver just a bit and he could no longer see the words he was writing. He leaned back in his seat, shocked at how tired he was. He made to get up, his body tilting a little to the right. He groaned and touched his temple as his head spun. He made his way, wavering, towards the door. He grabbed onto the handle, steadying himself with it. He opened the door and began weaving his way towards his sleeping chamber. He had probably missed a bit too much sleep. That was all. He entered his sleeping chamber and all but fell on the bed. It took no more than a few seconds for him to be asleep.

* * *

_What was going on?_

wondered Menthe as she saw Hades weaving towards his sleeping chamber. The lust potion she had taken from Hecate's potions room was not working properly. Instead of affecting him the way it should, making him wild with lust for the first female he saw, it was making him dizzy. He meandered through the hallway, passing by her and seeming to not notice her at all. She growled as Hecate appeared next to her.

"You should really think before you go through someone _else's _belongings, Menthe. This is, I believe, your _second_ plan that had failed. Are you going to give up yet, young one?"

Menthe glared at her. Somehow, Hecate had known what would happen and she had switched the potion.

"The most this plan is going to do is make Hades fall asleep. Such a pathetic attempt, really. You _actually_ think you could be Queen of the Underworld? All of its inhabitants would laugh in your face before you rule. Remember that before your next attempt, you little twit."

With that last parting slur, Hecate once again disappeared into the darkness. A shiver went down Menthe's spine. Hecate was truly frightening.

She fell to her knees, her second plan having failed. She sobbed into her hands for a moment. Suddenly, the sobs stopped. She lifted her head, a craft expression on her face. This plan did not _have_ to fail. It could still be used. Menthe grinned as she got up to finish her plan.

* * *

Seph hummed as she made her way back from her garden. She had sent Menthe for seeds such a long time ago and the nymph had not returned with them yet. She sighed and spun, laughing. Her garden always brought joy to her heart, but her true joy came from the fact that she now had an extra hour or two to spend with her beloved husband before they had to go have dinner. Maybe they could skip dinner tonight as well, Seph thought, naughtily.

Her love for Hades had grown infinitesimally since she had come to the Underworld. He was the only one she would ever love and cherish. She hummed a tune he had once sung to her as a child, making her way towards their bed chamber. She pushed open the door, shocked at how dark the room was. Maybe Hades had not returned yet. He always lit at least a candle before going to bed. She was about to step out when she heard a low moan come from the bed. She smiled. He was here. She lifted her hands and at once, the room was lit. She glanced at the bed and her heart shattered into a million pieces.

_Her_ husband, _her _Hades, was lying on top of Menthe, naked, kissing her neck as Menthe lay under him, equally naked. The pain in Seph's chest was so great, she swore her heart was being physically ripped from her body. The sudden light made Hades blink and he looked up to the doorway. When he saw Seph, shock was the first expression he showed. He looked back at Menthe and scrambled off her, apparently uncaring of his nude state. Menthe gasped, sat up at once and said,

"Seph! It is not what it seems to be!"

Hades seemed totally confused, looking from one woman to the next, his eyes dark and blurry. Seph only had eyes for her husband. She stared at him, while he stared back at her. Seph heard a small sob and turned to Menthe. She was crying.

"I am sorry, Seph. I came to see if he was alright. He kissed me and I couldn't stop myself. I-"

Seph held up her hand to her, cutting her off, regally.

"I do not need any explanations, Menthe."

She looked at Hades, her eyes glacier cold.

"I am leaving here tomorrow. I am returning to my mother. I will send for my things."

She turned on her heel and left the room.

* * *

Hades looked around himself, confused. He had been in a deep sleep, which had been suddenly interrupted with little hands undressing him. Certain that his Seph had returned from _wherever_ she had been, he had undressed her as well, the room pitch dark. After a few minutes of kissing, the usual fire of passion missing from them, the lights had flickered on and he had looked up to see Seph, with such pain in her eyes that he had felt as if his heart had been torn in half. He never wanted to see his Seph hurt. When he had looked down to the woman he had been kissing, he saw Menthe. At once, he had pulled away from her. His body, however, was still groggy and moving slowly. By the time he had looked back at Seph, her eyes, her once beautiful love filled eyes, had been so filled with disgust he was rooted to the spot. His beloved Seph had held such and expression in his eyes for _him_? He had not heard what Menthe had said, only able to hear the shattering of his own heart, but he knew she lied. He had always known something was wrong with that nymph. He glared at her form where he sat. She was still crying.

"What have you done?"

He asked, viciously. She seemed shocked as she looked at him.

"Me? You kissed _me_, Hades. Do you not remember?"

Dumbfounded, he wracked his mind, trying to remember what had transpired. When nothing came to his mind, he flicked his wrist, clothing himself and Menthe and ran from the room, his body still weaving a bit in the hallways as he searched for Seph. He found her, curled in a ball on the floor of her garden, her tiny body releasing wracking sobs, trembling from head to toe. Hades felt his knees fall to the ground as the pain filling his body overflowed. He crawled towards the only person he would ever love, his hand reaching towards her longingly. As if sensing his presence, she turned her face towards his. Her face was contorted in agony. When she saw him, she pulled away from him as a dog would from the owner who kicked it. This small gesture hurt him more than a physical blow.

"Seph."

He whispered,

"I did not..."

She looked up at him, hopefully.

"You did not what, Hades?"

Her voice was small and fragile. He wracked his mind again, for what had transpired, unable to come up with anything except darkness. When he did not reply to her, she looked away from him, her face smoothing out once more to a regal expression of nonchalance.

"If you have no reply, Hades, then you should leave."

He sobbed, his hand reaching out to her. She slapped it away. He barely felt the impact on his hand, but the impact on his heart was thunderous.

"You have no right to touch me."

She spat at him, the disgust in her eyes crushing him.

"I thought she was you, Seph!"

He screamed, unable to contain himself. Her mask fell for just a moment at this, her true vulnerability and pain showing.

"What do you mean?"

She whispered, her voice once more soft and helpless.

"I do not know what occurred exactly, but I know that I thought it was you I was touching, Seph. I thought it was _you._"

She searched his eyes, her face filled with fragile hope.

"Truly?"

She whispered, sounding like the little girl he had one known, not the strong Goddess she had become. He hated himself for having brought this upon her. He nodded, saying,

"You are the only one I love, Seph. The only one I would touch. You must believe me. If I had known it was Menthe, I swear on the river Styx I would have never even looked at her."

She gasped as she hard this oath. Swearing on the water of the river Styx was the most unbreakable of oaths. If he swore that he had thought the woman he was with was Seph, then she believed him. Tears of joy leaked out her eyes. She lunged at him, kissing him with everything she had. She pulled back, looking into his eyes.

"_That_ was to wipe her taste from your lips."

His own eyes filled with tears and he hugged her, burying his face against her neck as for the first time in his life, he cried. She held him and sobbed against this shoulder.

Suddenly, Hecate appeared next to them. Shocked at seeing her King cry, she averted her eyes.

"My King, My Queen, I must speak with you. It is urgent."

They separated, Hades till holding her around her waist, unable to completely release her. He had almost lost her forever. He never wanted to know that feeling ever again.

"What is it, Hecate?"

He whispered, hoarsely.

"My lord, the nymph, Menthe, went into my potion stores and stole a very potent sleeping potion. I as of yet have no proof but I believe she used the potion in the wine she gave you in the library today."

His eyes hardening, he asked,

"What?"

In a voice that sent shivers down the spines of any creature within hearing distance.

"I borrowed your helmet of invisibility to watch her, my Lord. I do apologise for not aski-"

Hades waved away her apology, gesturing for her to continue. She nodded and said.

"When I was observing her, I saw her look at a potion I brewed that will make a man lust the first woman he sees with such animal need he would even go so far as to rape her if she refuses him. At once, I used my magic to switch the potions with that of a potion of the same colour. A sleeping potion that takes immediate effect, even on the Gods."

Hades had been quietly listening to what she had to say. She even explained the suspicions she had of Menthe since she had entered the Underworld. If only Hecate had come to him earlier. Glad that she had come to him at all, however, he thanked her and allowed her to leave. He turned to Seph and said,

"I will deal with menthe, love. Please leave it to me."

Seph's eyes had previously been closed, and Hades thought she might be in pain over the loss of her friend. When she opened her eyes however, such rage filled her eyes that he had never even known was possible.

"No."

She said, power resonating in her voice.

"She tricked _me_. I was foolish enough to trust her. I will deal with this."

She got up, at once and left the garden. Hades got up to follow her, but found she had barred the door. Opening it would hurt her as it would send the power to backlash her. He sighed and sat, hoping his Seph would not be harmed.

* * *

Seph had never felt such utter rage before in her life. Power swirled through her as she had never known. Before this moment, she had never thought of things like revenge and hate. In this one moment, however, her hatred had unlocked the door to her powers as Queen of the Underworld. The floodgates had been opened and she planned on using every single drop.

* * *

Menthe stayed in the Hades bedchamber, her plan falling into place. Persephone would never believe Hades. Hades did not even know what had happened. He had no idea she had sneaked into the bed and undressed him. When he had begun to undress her, she had been so engrossed, she had forgotten about the plan and just gone along with it. The plan however, had worked _perfectly_. Persephone was leaving to go to her mother's and soon, she would make Hades fall in love with her. The first thing he would do when she got her powers a Queen was get rid of that troublemaking Hecate. She rubbed her hands together in glee, planning.

Suddenly, a cold draft made her body shiver. She turned and saw Persephone enter the room. She was shocked and frightened at once. This was not Persephone. Who was this person? Persephone's hair and gown floated around her as if moved by some unknown breeze. He eyes glowed with an unholy power the likes of which she had ever seen before. She stared at Persephone, frozen in place.

Persephone lifted her hand and she was slammed back against the wall.

"You have tricked me, Menthe."

She said in a voice that resonated power. It was as if thousands of voices made up one. Persephone tilted her head to the side as if she was listening to something.

"And you tricked my husband. He never kissed you. All this time you were trying to seduce him. I trusted you!"

With the last proclamation, Menthe was slammed into the wall again, pain wracking her body. She looked into the wild eyes of Persephone and prayed that she could _somehow_ hold her own. Her powers pushed against Persephone's but they were almost negligible compared to the vast recesses of Persephone's. Menthe made a small sound of defeat in her throat, knowing she could do nothing if Persephone chose to kill her.

Persephone moved closer to her, her powers feeling like a pressure pushing her harder against the wall. Menthe swallowed as Persephone said,

"You are nothing but a little nymph, Menthe. Remember that. Your powers are _worthless._ My mother sent you here so that when the powers of the Queen of the Underworld were upon you, you would perish. You cannot possibly conceive the powers you would have to contend with. Do not make plans for things far above your capability."

With that, he stepped away from her. Her eyes that had seemed made of ice a moment before melted against the fire hot rage that burned them now.

"You would have let me go to Olympus while my husband was innocent. You pretended to be my friend and _betrayed _me."

She got closer once more, so close her nose was a mere inch from Menthe's.

"Do you know who you betrayed, Menthe?"

Her powers flared, the pressure making Menthe feel as though with one more pulse she would be crushed against the wall.

"You betrayed the Queen of the Underworld. For that Menthe, you will be punished."

She lifted her hand and Menthe screamed in agony as she felt her body being burned.

"This is water from the river of fire. I hope you enjoy it, Menthe. I know I am."

* * *

Menthe wailed at the torture of the skin melting from her flesh. She sobbed as she died, her body disintegrating into ash. She glanced up, seeing the look of sick satisfaction in Persephone's face. She screamed to her, with her last breath.

"What kind of monster _are _you?"

Before darkness took her.

* * *

Seph stared at the body crumbling to ashes in front of her. The last words of Menthe, '_What kind of monster _are_ you?' _burned through her mind. She was justified in her actions! Menthe had betrayed her!

Slowly, as her full power as Queen of the Underworld left her, compassion returned to her, as if by bits. Instantly, she regretted what she had done. She fell to her knees, sobbing as she lifted the collapsed bits of ash around her. Her tears fell on the ash, leaving wet indents.

Slowly, little green sprouts appeared where her tears had fallen. She stared, perplexed as she saw the green little shoots. Gently, she stroked one ash covered finger over the soft green leaf. This was better. She should have thought of this earlier. Her mind had been fogged. Now she knew this was a more suitable punishment. Menthe had been a forest nymph. She would be back with nature, but in a way she could make no trouble for those around her. She made a little sprinkling gesture with her fingers over the tender fronds and her powers as a Spring Goddess surged. She smelled the fragrance first, a sweet fragrance with a subtle bite.

She smiled, the tears still falling, still regretting what had happened. She lifted the plant and took it slowly to her garden. She opened the door and saw Hades asleep on the grass. She smiled at the sight, her joy slowly returning to her. There was still a bit of sadness at losing her closest friend, but as long as she had Hades, she would need no other. She made a little hole and planted the little plant. As it bloomed here, so would it in the fields of man. She stroked the little leaves once more with regret and then made her way to where her husband lay on the floor. He opened his eyes as if he sensed her presence, smiled and opened his arms to her. She took her place at her husband's side, resting her head against his chest, never to be separated again.

* * *

This, my dear travellers, is the story of Menthe. Her own treachery caused her downfall. You can still find her in many places, now known as mint. She has become a favourite plant of the humans and Persephone still smiles every time she smells her fragrance, remembering for a moment the good times they shared. So this is the end of the tale. For now, dear friends, I must bid you farewell. Until my next tale, be safe and remember, love is the one and only thing in this world that is worth fighting for.

**E/N: So this is the end!!! *little sob*.... Im actually reeeally glad its done!! Lol... I don't think you'll believe how difficult it was for me to write anything that would separate Hades and Seph, even for a little bit!!! AAAAAAH... lol!!!**

**So please review if you have any comments, good or bad. Thank you so much for sticking with me!!!**

**Special thanks to ErikaCrotts, Fostersb and skele-gro!!! You guys are awesome 4 reviewing EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER!!! Lol.... AND for sticking with me through BOTH my stories. Im not sure what I'm gon write next, bt I hope you enjoy it!!!**


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